Is there any good way to shift people from incandescent bulbs to fluorescents?

[jshore]

@According to Pliny

Because the information needed for the decision is not available right there.
Over the endless foot dragging of the industry we now at least have package markings for total lumens and average bulb life.
What we actually need is to have the key information large and up front, the same size and position as the wattage. And add that final number that fluorescents put on that the incandescents don’t: Total cost to run the bulb.
What if that were required? Where fluorescents have listed how much longer it lasts, incandescents should have to say “Burns out 5 times faster than fluorescents, and uses 4 times the energy in the process”

This is along the lines of the point that I was going to make. Right now, you have the CFLs advertising how much they save you over the long haul but you don’t have the converse info on the package of incandescent bulbs. I think we should consider having the government mandate that the manufactureres have to have the information about cost of use displayed right there prominently on the package (sort of like the EPA mileage stickers on a new car). That way, maybe people will realize that when they are buying that bargain incandescent bulb for 50 cents, they are also going to be shelling out another $10 to run it over its (shorter than CFL) lifetime.

[mike1dog]

I have some compact fluorescents, but I doubt I can replace every bulb I have with them. I don’t see any way they’d work in appliances, for example, unless you can tell me how one would work in a 500 degree oven or in my refrigerator.
I also wonder about the mercury question. Saying “oh, they’ll make some kind of recycling program” just doesn’t cut it for me. I live in the country, and there is no recycling of any kind here, and the idea that people will take their burned out bulbs to some sort of recycling center rather than just throw it in the trash just denies reality to me.
I also wonder if the bulbs take more energy to produce.

[What_Exit]

@mike1dog

I have some compact fluorescents, but I doubt I can replace every bulb I have with them. I don’t see any way they’d work in appliances, for example, unless you can tell me how one would work in a 500 degree oven or in my refrigerator.
I also wonder about the mercury question. Saying “oh, they’ll make some kind of recycling program” just doesn’t cut it for me. I live in the country, and there is no recycling of any kind here, and the idea that people will take their burned out bulbs to some sort of recycling center rather than just throw it in the trash just denies reality to me.
I also wonder if the bulbs take more energy to produce.

The more energy to produce part is a small fraction of the energy they save. The mercury is a legitimate concern and to my knowledge, you will need to stay with incandescent for appliance bulbs until they redesign appliances to use LEDs.

On the other hand, most appliance bulbs are not on for long periods and there is little room for energy saving from them.

I will be honest; I do not know how the mercury issue will be addressed. It is possible, that CFLs will be a short life cycle product overall as LED lighting quickly comes up to speed and replaces both incandescent & fluorescent in most applications. CFLs might only have a ten-year run in them as the bulb of choice.

Jim

[Magiver]

@What Exit?

The more energy to produce part is a small fraction of the energy they save. The mercury is a legitimate concern and to my knowledge, you will need to stay with incandescent for appliance bulbs until they redesign appliances to use LEDs.

On the other hand, most appliance bulbs are not on for long periods and there is little room for energy saving from them.

I will be honest; I do not know how the mercury issue will be addressed. It is possible, that CFLs will be a short life cycle product overall as LED lighting quickly comes up to speed and replaces both incandescent & fluorescent in most applications. CFLs might only have a ten-year run in them as the bulb of choice.

Jim

How does mercury in a landfill differ from mercury in it’s natural state?

[What_Exit]

@Magiver

How does mercury in a landfill differ from mercury in it’s natural state?

Well, I was not the one to raise the objection, but mercury in its natural state is generally out of the food chain and not in the water table.

Mercury is a bigger danger as far as I know when it gets dumped into the Ocean/Gulf. Mercury accumulates in the fatty tissues* of prey fish and so gets to dangerous levels of accumulation in larger predator fish and then in turn makes its way into the diet of those humans that eat larger predator fishes.

As far as landfills, seagulls and rats consume some of the mercury and it eventually works it way up the food chain again. However, good landfill dumping of mercury should be a lot less hazardous than Ocean Dumping.

Jim

• might be other tissues, I am parroting back what I remember offhand, you can look up the exact medical problems on the web.